HELP - How to Modify Alps DF354H for Ready Signal

[ikari]

   
• cut original pin 34 path
• connect it to RD because of the first tutorial
• unsolder, discover that the RD pad has left the PCB together with the wire
• connect RD to pin 30 (Read Data) again
• wire pin 34 to the IC like here: https://www.msxinfo.net/2014/03/12/making-a-alps-df354h127f-msx-compatible/
• left DS1 connected (wanted it to be drive B)
• left MS1/MS2 disconnected- used isolation tape on floppies to make them DD
• used a cable with drive swap switch (pins 11 and 12) and side select switch
• initially the cable had also pins 33 and 34 jumpered together but after the drive mods I don't seem to need that anymore.

This setup works with the PC (unless we're writing a single 128-byte sector of Arkanoid disk - that's the only sector that didn't write correctly so far) and with the CPC, and:

   
• ✅ The CPC can load CP/M, regular files, do cat, etc.
• ✅ CP/M works, DISCKIT3 works
• ⚠️ ProCopy 1.2 is unable to map a disk (any disk) when the drive is connected, even from Drive A
• ⚠️ Discology didn't load
• ⚠️ Arkanoid didn't load

Yesterday I also received Lotharek's emulator and... surprisingly, things behave the same, except Discology now loaded - but still didn't map the drive, neither does ProCopy, Arkanoid still doesn't work, even when the drive acts as drive A.
Not sure what's going wrong in these special cases.

[rpalmer]

ikari,

The link in your reply "https://www.msxinfo.net/2014/03/12/making-a-alps-df354h127f-msx-compatible/" says page not found.

rpalmer

[tjohnson]

ikari,

The link in your reply "https://www.msxinfo.net/2014/03/12/making-a-alps-df354h127f-msx-compatible/" says page not found.

rpalmer

Works ok for me this is what the page says

Making a ALPS DF354H127F MSX Compatible

Here's a howto for making a ALPSDF354H127F compatible with the MSX.

First cut the traces of Pin 2 & Pin 34 (I use a 2mm drill on point A & B in the picture)

Setting the drive to DS0: Change the solder jumper from DS1 to DS0

Put Disk Change on pin 2 (Not necessary for some Philips Models) Solder a wire from pin5 of the controller IC to Pin 2 of the connector. (Red Arrow)

Put READY on pin 34: Solder a wire from pin 32 of the controller IC to Pin 34 of the connector (Blue Wire)

[tjohnson]

I got another drive and modified the ready signal, this version appears to work better.  I added a switch for the side selection which are the additional wires at the bottom.

[ikari]

Now this is interesting! Would you care to explain the connections you've made? I see it's a bit different than in the instructions.

I highlighted some of the questions and differences with my version in the picture attached. Not sure if I will modify it again, as it generally works well as it is now, but I am eager to learn what's different and what's happening in yours. I wasn't able to find any good description of the signals in this Alps drive, so all I have were the instructions from the two links.
Edit: ok, after typing this post 4 times, my attachment "fails security checks". Posting it to imgur then:

[tjohnson]

The short cable at the top makes the drive dd permanently, no need for cellotape over HD disks.  I changed the ready signal after i found it was permanently ready with the mod.  It is now only ready when there is a disk in the drive.

Now this is interesting! Would you care to explain the connections you've made? I see it's a bit different than in the instructions.

I highlighted some of the questions and differences with my version in the picture attached. Not sure if I will modify it again, as it generally works well as it is now, but I am eager to learn what's different and what's happening in yours. I wasn't able to find any good description of the signals in this Alps drive, so all I have were the instructions from the two links.
Edit: ok, after typing this post 4 times, my attachment "fails security checks". Posting it to imgur then:

Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk

[Bryce]

I got another drive and modified the ready signal, this version appears to work better.  I added a switch for the side selection which are the additional wires at the bottom.

That's some seriously high voltage cable you've chosen for 5V signals.

Bryce.

[Bryce]

I got another drive and modified the ready signal, this version appears to work better.  I added a switch for the side selection which are the additional wires at the bottom.

That's some seriously high voltage cable you've chosen for 5V signals.

Bryce.

[tjohnson]

Is just what i had lying round, the pcb is very small so the cable looks a bit bigger than it actually is.

Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk

[ikari]

The short cable at the top makes the drive dd permanently, no need for cellotape over HD disks.  I changed the ready signal after i found it was permanently ready with the mod.  It is now only ready when there is a disk in the drive.

I see. In my version I accidently have it READY when there's a disk in the drive, because the 2nd-from-corner pin on the chip that the MSX instructions said to connect to pin34 seems to behave like drive density detector. So when something presses on my HD-hole sensor (meaning: no hole), the signal goes low. I discovered, with a LED, that a disk with a hole means the signal will stay high.
So it probably works for me because I *didn't* permanently set it to DD

Is there anything on the Alps drive that would be exactly like the original "Ready" signal, checking the motor speed, etc.?

[tjohnson]

I see. In my version I accidently have it READY when there's a disk in the drive, because the 2nd-from-corner pin on the chip that the MSX instructions said to connect to pin34 seems to behave like drive density detector. So when something presses on my HD-hole sensor (meaning: no hole), the signal goes low. I discovered, with a LED, that a disk with a hole means the signal will stay high.
So it probably works for me because I *didn't* permanently set it to DD

Is there anything on the Alps drive that would be exactly like the original "Ready" signal, checking the motor speed, etc.?

I see what you mean, that would make sense.  I would have to probe about to see if I could find a suitable signal on the IC.  Maybe I'll try more likely not!

[xesrjb]

Ok, I will try it...

xesrjb 

[xesrjb]

Scratch that; RD isn't the ready signal at all (I expect it worked on an Amiga because they also route the DC signal to another pin.)


Try this one instead (pin 34 to pin 32 on the IC): https://www.msxinfo.net/2014/03/12/making-a-alps-df354h127f-msx-compatible/

This solution is good, I tried it and it is running. Using it as b: for a CPC 6128. Two cuts, two wires thats it...

xesrjb